Before: My EA81 was overheating and blowing coolant out the radiator cap like old faithful. It was not exhibiting any other signs of head gasket issues.

 

Changes:

-new head gaskets

-ground valves, valve seats

-new tstat

-new water pump

-various other new seals

-cleaned everything thoroughly

 

Observations:

-"bridge cracks" in both heads, look just like all of the "okay" bridge crack pictures floating around here

-no other cracks were observed on the heads or block

-we didn't (doh!) use any feeler gauges to check for warpage, but the heads and block seemed straight if that's worth anything

 

After: Car still overheats and spews water. It will reliably start spewing when the temperature gets about 3/4 up the gauge. It is very forceful and happens at once; the water is launched a good 8" in the air. I did say water, and I know that water has a lower boiling point than coolant, but I don't think it's boiling over, it really seems to be pushed out by combustion gases. There are still no other signs of head issues- no white smoke, no oil/coolant exchanges, etc.

 

So, to me it still seams like a head issue, but could it be something else causing the overheating and spewing? So far my plan is a compression test, and then....?

 

Thanks in advance!

well first off as you know use a 50/50 coolant mix, second it doesnt sound like a hg to me. try changing out the radiator. if there was extreme overheating change temp switch. make sure fan is coming on. if there is no ac, ADD a ac fan to the car and put it on a manual switch to keep it from creeping to fast to get you home. the rad may look fine but take it in and get it "rodded" out that way it cleans all passages. DO NOT i repeat DO NOT use any type of cooling system "fix-a-leak" solutions. it in time will just make it worse and clog everythnig it can find.

I might be missing something, but how can a bad radiator cause the guiser effects? Just by boiling the water? To me it seems more forced than that. The electric fan turns on, and there are no cold spots on the radiator.

 

Thanks.

 

well first off as you know use a 50/50 coolant mix, second it doesnt sound like a hg to me. try changing out the radiator. if there was extreme overheating change temp switch. make sure fan is coming on. if there is no ac, ADD a ac fan to the car and put it on a manual switch to keep it from creeping to fast to get you home. the rad may look fine but take it in and get it "rodded" out that way it cleans all passages. DO NOT i repeat DO NOT use any type of cooling system "fix-a-leak" solutions. it in time will just make it worse and clog everythnig it can find.

If you didnt check your heads for warpage thats a BIG no no, i would assume that the head is warped and try it again. I have seen it a couple times (not on scoobys) and the result is never good. It seems like ever time you dont check it its warped adn ever time you do its okay.

Get a new radiator cap.   The cooling system must pressurize to keep it from boiling.

Yes.

 

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